Appabattjs fob attaching shades



A. C. HOUGH.

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING SHADES, SCREENS, OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 6. 1917.

1,323,393. Patented Dec. 2,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

van/tor azel darence jlfngk aty.

A. c. HOUGj-l. APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING SHADES, SCREENS, OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 6. 191?.

Patented Dec. 2

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 AZEL CLARENCE HOUGH, 0F JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN.

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING SHADES, SCREENS, OR THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

Application filed October 6, 1917. Serial No. 195,134.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AznL CLARENCE Houcrr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Janesville, in the county of Rock and State of WVisconsin, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Attaching Shades, Screens, or the like, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention is an improvement in the attaching, holding and supporting devices for shades, screens and the like, resulting in an improved attachable and detachable shade construction.

In my copending application Ser. No. 195,133, filed October 6, 1917, I have described and claimed my improved system or method for attaching hanging articles, such as shades, screens and the like, to supports, such as the overhead beam in a porch or building. The present application is directed to disclose and claim my preferred apparatus, consisting in novel devices, which may be advantageously used, either in carrying out the method of said copending application, or in connection with other methods of attachment, certain of the features herein described being particularly new and applicable to numerous constructions. An important feature of my present invention consists in the provision of a quickly attachable, readily detachable and reattachable construction for any long or heavy article such as a shade or screen, to a support such as the porch beam. Heretofore it has been customary to attach porch screens by means of a plurality of screws fitted through the top molding of the screen directly into corresponding holes bored in the porch beam, and such fastenings require that the screen be held up in position, screw holes marked, the screen lowered and the holes bored to receive the attaching screws, thus involving considerable labor, effort and skill, as well as calling for the services of two operators. when a screen of ordinary length and weight was handled. My invention eliminates the difliculties above noted and permits one operator to fit, adjust and apply the fastening devices or bore recesses'in the porch beam for any length of screen without first holding up the same to porch team A further feature of the present invention consists in the provision of means permitting the screen to be detachably afiixed to either the perpendicular face of a supporting beam or directly to the under face of the supporting beam, and furthermore I provide means which will automatically maintain the top molding of the screen parallel with the perpendicular face of the beam when attached thereto, or perpendicular to the horizontal bottom face of the beam when thus attached.

A further and important feature consists in the arrangement of fastening devices which will carry the strain of the cords fitted to roll up the screen, sustaining the same directly upon the beam supports, and thus relieving this load from the top molding of the screen itself. An advantage of this construction is that the life of a screen or shade is greatly increased, the tendency to sag or disaline the top-molding is eliminated, and a more rigid bearing for the pulley or glide through which the cords are rove, is secured.

In carrying out my invention, I prefer to utilize a screen having fixed at predetermined intervals in its top molding a series or set of fastening members, preferably of easily attachable and quickly detachable form, such for example as hooks, adapted to cooperate with eyelets or staples to be secured to the supporting porch beam. In connection with each screen I provide a pattern or templet, preferably of paper, having thereon a set of designations such as printed marks, holes, notches or the like, corresponding in number, position and alinement, with the attaching hook members on the screen. This paper pattern can be applied to the supporting beam, the eyelets or hook members, staples or the like, driven into the beam, the pattern removed, and the screen then applied to the beam for the first time and hooked in position. This pattern is not limited for use with hook and eyelet members, but may be employed with equal facility and advantage to locate the screw holes on a beam, corresponding to those in a top molding, so that the beam can be prepared to receive the fastening device and all in proper alinement, when the screen is lifted up to the over head beam and attached. The width of such screens or shades vary so widely that it is believed advisable tohave a paper attern with each screen as a part thereof in actual use, constituting a complete outfit, in addition to the hooks and eyelets or staple members. Certain of these hook members are preferably so made as to also so carry the pulley or glide members for the roll up cords, thus giving a firm bearing for the cord members directly on the supporting beam, although it is, of course, feasible to utilize separate pulley or glide mom ers intern'iediate the hook engaging supporting devices, as has been customary heretofore. In order to maintain the top molding of the shade parallel with the face of the beam, especially when the shade is supported on the perpendicular face, I provide suitable means to give a bearing in addition to the hook or attaching device, which additional bearing is of a size and space to hold the top molding parallel with face of beam and bus insure that the entire screen will hang true and straight.

Other features of the invention, details of construction, and advantages, will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of an overhead porch beam, with screen fastenings positioned thereon and the end portion of a screen attached thereto, the attachments being one form of the novel type of devices shown in my said copending application;

Fig. 2 is a view of the paper pattern with the designations thereon;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View of porch and the other end of a screen corresponding to that shown in Fig. 1, wherein a modified form of my novel fastening devices, shown in my said eopending application is illu trated;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the fastening devices carrying the glide member for the roll up cords;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4; r

Fig. 6 being a reverse view from Fig. 1; Figs. 7 and S are corresponding front and reverse views of a modified form of hook member with the glide or pulley member separately attached to the screen;

Fig. 9 being a cross sectional View on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7,

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional fragmentary view. showing the hook members of the modified form of Figs. 7 and 8 when attached to the supporting beam, having the atta hment on the vertical face of the beam,

Fig. 11 being a fragmenary cross sectional view showing the attachment on the horizontal bottom face of a beam.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows in diagrammatic form a portion of a porch structure 1, and the usual beam 2 supported by posts,- stanchions or the like 3. My novel type of pattern 1 is shown, having a plurality of designations thereon as indicated at 5, 5, 5, in this particular instance sald designations being, in each instance, a pair of marks to receive the legs of an ordinary staple 6, which staples are used in this illustrated form in the supporting beam 2, from which the corresponding hooks 7 on the top molding 8 of a screen 9, are hooked. In Fig. 1 I have illustrated at 10 a special type of combined hook and slide member, through which the cords 11 and 12 are led which roll up the screen, transferring the strain of said cords directly on to the top molding 8 of the screen, as will be more fully explained. A modified form of the glide or pulley member 13 for the cords 14, is shown in Fig. 3, both of said fastening members 10 and 13 being more fully described in detail hereafter.

As shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the hanging member 10 carrying the loop 15, through which the roll up cords 11 and 12 lead, is preferably made to be rigidly secured to the hook portion 16, engaging the staple 6, by the rivet or bolt 17. This combined hanger and glide member 10 may be formed with the hook 16 integrally with the other, or may be formed as shown in detail in Fig. 5 with the hook member 16 interlocked with and secured to the member 10 and the topmolding of the screen as designated at 8. In this particular form I prefer to make the hook member 16 ith means such as the curved portion 20 extending outwardly as far as the hook member 16 in order to bear against the face of the supporting beam 2, when hung as shown in Fig. 5. This insures the hanging of the screen in proper vertical position with the top molding 8 held parallel to and spaced rigidly from the supporting beam 2. This feature. is of special value and I believe the same is a distinct novelty in securing a better hanging of the entire screen, and a more firm and rigid holding of the screen, both when completely rolled up and when completely unrolled. I may extend the portion 20 downwardly, forming a hole 21 to receive the knotted end 22 of one of the roll cords 12, allowing said extension to contact at 23 with the first slat in the screen and cooperating with the loop 15 in also tending to hold the screen and this slat in vertical alinement.

The single hook members 7 are shown in enlarged detail in Figs. 7, 8 and 10, secured by rivets 25 to the top melding of the screen and adapted to engage with the staples 6. In this form the hook 'members 7 may be used intermediate of the combined hook and glide members 10, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or entirely separate from the glide holding members 13, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 8. I prefer to also previ le means With such hook members 7 which will cooperate to hold the top molding of the screen spaced from and parallel with the vertical face of the supporting beam 2, such as an enlarged bolt head 26 (see Fig. 10). As shown in Fig. 9, the glide member 13 for the cord 14 may be separately attached at any point desired on the top molding of the screen, preferably with the rear end of said cord 14: extending upwardly through a grooved portion 27 in the top of the member 18 and through a recess in the loop portion 28, as

indicated at 29, where a knot will hold this end of th roll up cord.

lVhile it is ordinarily desired to hang or support a screen or shade from the vertical face of an overhead beam, as is illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 10, and in most instances this practice is followed, yet my apparatus consisting in the utilization of the pattern 4 is of even greater value and use in a case where it is necessary or desirable to attach the screen to the horizontal bottom face 29 of a support 30, as shown in Fig. 11. In this type of construction it would be extremely diflicult to hold up a screen against the horizontal bottom face 29 of the support and apply the fastening devices and get them accurately spaced and in alinement, whereas with my previously marked pattern the difliculties are entirely overcome. The pattern can be positioned on the horizontal face as well as on the vertical face of the support, or 011 any angular or inclined face, applied, the fastening devices driven theret-hrough or positioned thereon, and the screen quickly, easily and accurately hung. As illustrated in Fig. 11, by the use of the hook members 7, brought just to the top of the molding 8, the hanging of such a screen underneath a beam presents no difiiculties and furthermore affords a substantially compact bearing against the lowermost surface of the beam so as to also hold the screen sus pended in perpendicular alinement therewith. The glide or pulley members extending over the top of the tip molding also bear firmly between the molding and the overhanging support.

It will thu be seen that I have provided a novel and etlicient apparatus for quickly positioning, affixing the holding device and attaching a screen, shade or the like to an overhead support without the difiiculties, previously met, and the skill and labor heretofore required. The entire operation of hanging or unhanging the screen is rendered simple and easy, while the accuracy in spacing and alinement of the cooperating hanging members and novel means to hold the screen suspended true and in vertical alinement, are provided. I am aware that heretofore efforts have been made to utilize a hook and eye arrangement for uch screens, and owing to the weight, length and difliculties in actual practice, these prior efforts have not been satisfactory, and my present fastening devices involve much more than a mere hook and eye connection. I believe that the combined hook and eye members combined with the glide or pulley means supporting; the load or strain from the roll up cords directly on the supporting beam, are distinctly novel in this art, and I wish to claim the same broadly. It is also believed that the means to hold the top moldin g and the entire screen to hang in true and vertical alinement by devices cooperating with the hook and eye members to give a bearing on the supporting member and impart rigidity to the screen, as well as alinement, are distinctly new. The novel arrangement of a pattern, preferably of paper or the like, as a portion of the screen, or for use in connection with the initial fitting of the screen to its support, is also a distinctly novel idea and is intended to be claimed herein, both in combination with the screen and the supporting devices, as well as broadly, but the method of putting up and hanging such shades or screens by means of such a pattern, is not herein claimed, being covered in my said copending application.

My invention is further described and defined in the form of claims as follows:

1. A fastening device for a screen of the kind described, comprising a combined hook and pulley-like member and a spacing device, adapted to be attached to and support the screen on supporting beam and maintain the screen parallel thereto, said spacing means acting as an anchor for the roll-up cords of the screen and taking up the strain of said roll-up cords to transmit the strain through the hook to the supporting beam.

2. A fastening device for a screen of the kind described, adapted to engage a cooperating member in a supporting beam and additional means to contact with the supporting beam and the shade to maintain that portion of the shade carrying said fastening device parallel with the supporting beam.

3. A fastening device for a screen of the kind described, adapted to engage a coopcrating member in a supporting beam and means carried bv the screen to maintain that portion of the shade carrying said fastening device spaced from and parallel to the supporting beam, including a bearing member adapted to en age said beam at a point equidistant with the spacing caused by the fastening device.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AZEL CLARENCE HOUGH.

Witnesses:

HAZEL T. WEIRICK, GEORGIA A. TROTTER. 

